The shop didn't seem like it contained any magic at all.

There were multiple sacks of what seemed to be bread and fish food stacked on top of each other near the entrance. One person was sleeping in a makeshift hammock while another person stacked the sacks. Pranee briefly glanced at the ground and noticed that the person tending to the sacks had an artificial leg. She looked away as if she didn't see anything. She was afraid she would offend the person by staring for too long.

"Here to buy some f– What are you doing here?"

"Really, Kiet? No hello? No wai?" Shashi glared at who Pranee assumed to be Kiet.

Kiet sighed, dropped the sack on the pile before lazily clapping his hands together and bowing quickly. "Yo."

Kiet quickly resumed to his tasks leaving Shashi looking more irritated than before.

"What was that?"

"A wai," Kiet stated.

"Don't you have any respect for me?"

"Why don't you give me a wai, huh? You never gave me one."

"I bow every time I see you!"

"What about the hand gesture?" Kiet pointed to Shashi's torso and Shashi scowled.

"Did you lose your eyesight or did you forget I have no arms?"

"I am completely blind now. I can't see anything. Missing one leg means you have no eyesight, haven't you heard?" Kiet's deadpan expression only emphasized his sarcastic tone.

"No, I completely lost my hearing for some time now," Shashi replied just as sarcastically.

Shashi and Kiet continued to bicker while Pranee watched them with amusement and concern.

"You seem to be new around here." A voice spoke up from behind Pranee. The person that was sleeping on the hammock before was now wide awake.

Pranee quickly put her hands together before bowing and the person mirrored the gesture.

"Hello, I'm Pranee. Sorry about... er... disrupting your day, I didn't think this would happen." Pranee flinched at the sound of Shashi's raised voice. She couldn't quite catch what exactly they said but the topic seemed to be revolving around chilies.

"Welcome to our small shop, Pranee. Just call me Chann." Chann followed the direction of her gaze with an amused expression.

Pranee was about to express her concern over Shashi before Chann spoke again. This time more awkwardly than earlier.

"One thing before we talk more... Please note that I don't identify as male or female. Though... I'm sure this isn't too foreign to you since you know Shashi." Pranee nodded and they glanced to the bickering duo. "They're always like this, don't worry about them too much."

"But they're... insulting each other."

"Yeah, it's because they're close," Chann shrugged. "I'm sure if anyone else hurled those insults to the other that they would immediately criticize that person and defend each other."

"Huh, I've never seen a dynamic like that before..."

"You haven't?" Chann seemed surprised by what Pranee had said and Pranee froze.

"Well, I uh..."

"Anyways," Shashi exclaimed. "I'm sure you read the letter I sent. I expect you'll have no difficulty teaching her."

"Wait, you're not going to teach me?" Pranee turned to Shashi but they were already walking out the door.

"I need to buy some things for the door situation. Just let these buffalos teach you some basics and you'll get a hang of things in no time," Shashi reassured Pranee.

"Who are you calling a buffalo?" Kiet shouted at Shashi as they left.

"I can't hear you! I lost my hearing again and I have to go find it now!"

"That little..." Kiet muttered to himself before catching Pranee's gaze. "So, they want us to teach you magic?"

"It seems so." Pranee shifted from one foot to the other, unsure on what exactly to do.

Kiet's frown deepened before walking towards the back of the shop. "Looks like I need my leg again. Chann, keep an eye on the shop please."

"Yeah, I got it." Chann waved a hand dismissively.

Kiet paused when he got to the door and turned to Chann with a pointed finger. "No sleeping."

Chann sighed loudly. "I goooot iiiit."

Kiet promptly left the room to collect what he needed.

"Leg?" Pranee tilted her head to the side and looked to Chann to see if they could clarify.

They nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, a prosthetic leg."

"Why wasn't he wearing it earlier?"

"He only wears it for magic. He'll explain more I'm sure."

"Do you do any magic?"

"I do but I prefer running the shop."

"Even though you were sleeping when I arrived here?"

"I get to take work breaks."

Pranee eyed Chann wearily, unconvinced that they're as dedicated to running the shop as they are to sleeping.

"I got my leg. Let's start our lesson."